


Devil May (Day)Care

by whitchry9



Category: Daredevil (TV), Iron Fist (TV), Jessica Jones (TV), Luke Cage (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AIM agents - Freeform, Age Regression/De-Aging, Defenders - Freeform, Emotions, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Infinity Gems, Matt Murdock Needs a Hug, Or a drink, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 08:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11710722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitchry9/pseuds/whitchry9
Summary: Matt feels a hell of a lot like a babysitter to the other Defenders. It only gets worse when they're actually turned into children and he has to figure out what went wrong, how to reverse it, and how to keep them from killing each other in the meantime.





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to mific for creating such beautiful art for the story, and livedragons for being the one to give me the idea in the first place.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things go wrong, and Foggy saves the day.

Sometimes Matt felt too much like a babysitter.

“Jessica, you can't have the liquor open while you're driving. I know it doesn't affect you the same way, but it's still illegal.”

She definitely gave him a look, but took one final swig and shoved the bottle in the glove compartment.

“Thank you,” Matt sighed.

Also in the front seat, Luke huffed at her. Because of his size, it just wasn't fair for him to try and sit in the backseat. And since Matt couldn't drive, and Danny shouldn't drive, it meant they were stuck in the back. Plus, it was Jessica's car.

Matt tilted his head and considered Danny.

“Danny, are you wearing any shoes?”

“Of course.”

“You insult both of us when you lie to me,” Matt sighed.

“… no,” he admitted after a second.

Luke struggled to turn around to see the back seat.

“Come on man, you'd think after you stepped on that gross glass and needed a tetanus shot and seven stitches that you'd learn,” he told Danny. Matt was thankful there was at least someone else capable of being an adult.

“It interferes with my chi.”

Luke considered that for a minute then shrugged, turning back to face the front.

Then again, maybe Matt was the only adult on the team.

 

* * *

 

“Their costumes make these guys look like assholes,” Jessica muttered.

Matt had to agree. The uniform seemed to be something akin to a beekeeper costume, with a mask or helmet that covered their entire head.

“They're even yellow,” Luke agreed.

“What are they doing here?” Matt asked. “From what I've heard, they're usually more big time, not hiding away in a run down building in Hell's Kitchen.”

Luke shrugged. “Guess there's only one way to find out.” He stood up and hopped to the ground, Danny and Jessica right behind him.

“There's definitely more than one way,” Matt called after them, but followed, because those idiots were going to need backup that was a little more stealthy than just breaking down the front door, which was exactly what Luke did.

Luke's fighting style definitely tended towards brute strength, often with the inclusion of available items as a shield to protect his clothes, which tended not to last long. In this case, he'd picked up what seemed to be part of the door he'd broken down.

Jessica's fighting style was similar to Luke's, except she wasn't bulletproof. She tended to follow closely behind him and use him as a shield.

Danny's style had to be the most ridiculous out of all of them, and involved what Jessica referred to as 'ninja moves', with the occasional addition of a glowing fist.

Matt let himself in a second story window, which actually turned out not to be the second story, but sort of a loft that overlooked what had formerly been a production area. Luke, Jessica, and Danny were below him, punching and throwing things at the idiots in beekeeper costumes, who had the marksmanship abilities of Stormtroopers.

Matt took out one of them who was trying to escape out the back by throwing his billy club at them. By the time he retrieved it and went back to the second level, there were only two beekeepers left standing.

Jessica whipped a nearby pipe at one of them.

Okay, one left standing.

“You shouldn't have come here,” he said. Luke took a step towards him, but the man held up his hands. There was some sort of energy that disoriented Matt for a moment, and when he managed to focus his senses, the guy was gone.

And where the Defenders had been standing a moment ago, there were now three children.

“Shit,” Matt said.

 

* * *

By the time they got back to Matt's apartment, he'd determined a few things. First was that the Defenders had all been deaged to a different age, which was possibly based on how old they were. Secondly, they still had their memories. And thirdly, they still had their abilities, albeit with a lesser degree of control. Danny had already cried twice about not being able to summon the Iron Fist, and Jessica had jumped down a step and nearly hit her head on the ceiling. At least Luke was taking great care with everything he touched, gingerly opening doors and sitting down.

They also seemed to be much more emotional. Jessica had sounded upset when Matt refused to let her have a beer, and Danny had cried multiple times. He assumed it had something to do with hormones, or maybe sleep? Matt really wasn't an expert.

“Foggy, I need you,” he said, hoping his friend could hear the desperation in his voice. And maybe the crying of Danny in the background.

“Matt? What's that sound?”

Matt winced as Danny continued wailing. “That's… that's Danny,” he sighed. “Jessica keeps picking on him.” And hitting him and mocking his inability to use the Iron Fist.

“… why is he crying?” Foggy asked.

Matt scratched his head. “I think he's five years old? Maybe six?”

Foggy swore, loudly and colourfully.

“Yeah,” Matt agreed, thankful he wasn't in the room when he said that. Despite the fact that they'd retained their memories, Matt still didn't want them exposed to any swearing.

“Okay,” Foggy said faintly. “Danny is five, maybe six. I'm assuming you're calling me because he's not the only one.”

Of course Foggy would have figured it out. If Danny was the only one, Luke would have handled it. Even if it was Danny and Jessica, Matt and Luke could have handled them together. But with all three of them, Matt was lost.

“Jessica is seven, maybe eight, and Luke is probably eleven.”

Foggy swore again.

Matt covered the phone with one hand. “Luke please, one more minute,” he pleaded.

Behind him, Luke sighed, but moved in between Danny and Jessica, picking up the younger boy and placing him on his hip.

“I'll be over in an hour with some things.”

Foggy hung up before Matt could ask what sort of things they'd need.

Luke practically threw Danny at Matt as soon as he was within arm's reach and disappeared up the stairs and onto the roof.

Matt sighed.

 

* * *

 

Foggy arrived just over an hour later carrying assorted shopping bags. The first one contained food, mainly canned items that Matt could just heat up, like chicken noodle soup and pasta in cute shapes that would be completely lost on him. The second bag contained clothes, sized approximately for what the Defenders had been shrunk into, which Matt hadn't even considered, despite Danny being lost in his t-shirt. The third bag contained dvds, books, board games, and what Matt thought was probably a puzzle. Foggy was clearly planning for longer than Matt was, although however long that could be, Matt didn't think anyone could say.

When he let himself in, Foggy found Matt holding Danny in his lap, Jessica in the kitchen labeling things with what was likely entirely inaccurate braille labels, and Luke still nowhere to be found.

He held his arms out for Danny, who had almost fallen asleep while Matt was holding him, and effectively took over, quietly complimenting him on his hair and offering him a choice between a shirt with a spaceship and a shirt with a dragon.

Matt headed up to the roof to retrieve Luke, Jessica still entertained with Matt's braille label maker.

Luke was sitting on the edge, his legs dangling over, and it took everything in Matt to not lecture him about making better choices. Despite appearances, Luke was a grown man and capable of making his own choices, albeit poor ones.

“Foggy's here. He brought you some clothes. Do you want to go inside and see what he picked out for you?”

Luke shrugged.

“I think he brought clothes that are an actual colour for Jessica,” Matt told him.

Luke snorted. “Oh that'll go over well.”

Matt smiled. “For sure.”

Luke sighed. “How long is this going to last?”

Matt crouched down next to him. “I don't know,” he admitted. “But it's best to be prepared for a few days, just in case. We'll figure this out though.”

Matt was thankful that Luke wasn't able to tell when people were lying, because Matt wasn't sure he was telling the whole truth. What if they couldn't solve it? What if the three of them were left aging all over again?

He pushed the thought out of his mind.

Luke sighed a very big sigh for such a small body. “Okay,” he agreed. Matt helped him to his feet, even though he really didn't need it, and they headed back inside.

“And,” Foggy was telling Danny as they came down the stairs, “We can go see a movie and you'll get in cheap. And we can go to a petting zoo that's only for kids. And we can do all sorts of things that they won't let you do when you're big, even though you are grown up. It'll be like you're undercover.”

Danny giggled, and Matt was reminded again that Danny's childhood was ripped away from him. The things Foggy was telling him they could do, Danny never got to enjoy past the age of ten, when his parents died and he was thrown into a world that was completely foreign to him. He and Jessica had both had their share of loss and abuse, but not to the same extent or depth as Danny did.

“Hey Luke,” Foggy greeted. “I got jeans in three different sizes, and hopefully one of the pairs fits you.”

Luke nodded and took the offered shopping bag, disappearing into the bathroom to change.

“Thanks,” Matt told him, not sure he'd said it recently enough to cover for everything he'd done.

Foggy shrugged. “I know this is something you're pretty useless with, despite growing up in an orphanage.”

“Thanks,” Matt said wryly.

Foggy grinned at him. “So what's the plan? We've got clothes and food, so it's time to move on up Maslow's hierarchy and get to those more complicated needs. Like returning to normal.”

“I think we're going to have to call Stark,” Matt admitted.

Behind him, Jessica stomped her feet. “I hate him,” she protested.

Foggy snorted. “Listen kiddo, I don't think any of us are particularly fond of him either, but unless you wanna be eight years old forever, we should probably get some help.”

Jessica scowled and crossed her arms, but grudgingly nodded.

“What clothes did Foggy bring you?” Matt asked her, turning to face her.

“Purple,” she huffed.

“There are not a lot of leather jackets in sizes for an eight year old,” Foggy admitted. “At least ones that I found.”

“Purple isn't that bad, right?”

Jessica scoffed at him. “How would you know?”

Matt rolled his eyes. The adult Jessica knew exactly when he lost his sight, which meant that eight year old Jessica also knew. She just wanted to be a jerk.

“Guess I don't. You're right, everything is awful, we should just go to bed and give up,” Matt told her sarcastically.

She stuck her tongue out at him, which was such a Jessica thing to do, adult or not.

Luke emerged from the bathroom wearing clothes that seemed to fit him better, carrying more that didn't.

Foggy took them back. “Biggest ones huh?”

Luke shrugged.

“It's fine. I just wanted you guys to have something you could wear. We can go out and get you some more things later, if you need them. I've got pyjamas for later too.”

And wow, where were they going to sleep? Danny and Luke could sleep in Matt's bed, and Jessica could have the couch, which left Matt with nowhere to sleep. Foggy's place wouldn't be any better, unless they split the kids up, Foggy taking one or two back to his place and Matt keeping the others, but that was a lot to ask of him, and who knew if they'd even want to go? Could Matt even let them go home if they wanted to? Luke might be old enough to look after himself, or at least he appeared to be. (Was he big for an eleven year old? Were eleven year olds capable of taking care of themselves?)

Jessica really wasn't, mostly because she'd start drinking as soon as she got home, and Danny just kept crying at everything and wasn't tall enough to even reach the sink on his own, so of course Matt couldn't let him go.

But he also couldn't just keep them. He wasn't their guardian or anything, nor did he have the right to be. He was just their friend, a definition which was tenuous at best some days.

But he was all they had at the moment, so he supposed he'd have to do.

Foggy clapped his hands together. “How about some dinner?” he asked brightly.

 

* * *

 

Dinner was pasta in shapes that were apparently Avengers, although Matt couldn't differentiate them with his tongue alone. Danny seemed quite pleased when he could tell them apart, and insisted on eating all the Hulk ones last. Apparently the Hulk was his favourite.

Jessica muttered something about how childish it was, but didn't complain when Luke gave her some of his Black Widow ones.

Again, Matt was so thankful for Foggy.

Danny asked about dessert, but the only thing that resembled it in the apartment was a collection of stale cookies. Matt promised they could get more groceries soon, and mentally prepared himself for taking three children to a place that was already overwhelming enough.

They eventually figured out that Danny and Luke would take the bed, Jessica would take the couch, and Matt would make a sort of blanket nest on the floor next to the bed. Foggy promised he'd bring an air mattress the next day, but Matt hoped it wouldn't come to that. He planned on calling Tony Stark to see if he could help with anything. Hell, maybe the guy had experience with people being shrunk down into children. All sorts of weird things seemed to happen to him.

They coaxed Danny into bed around 8pm when he couldn't stop rubbing at his eyes. He let Jessica and Luke finish their movie before sending them to bed around 9:30.

After that it was just him and Foggy.

“Hey,” Matt whispered. “I'm going to call Stark, why don't you head up to the roof and I'll meet you there in a few minutes.”

Foggy nodded.

Matt slipped out into the hall to make the call, where none of the Defenders could hear him. Thankfully, he was the only one with super hearing.

The first thing Tony did when Matt explained what happened was laugh.

For six whole minutes. Matt timed it.

After he finally caught his breath, he apologized. “I know that's really not what you wanted to hear, but you've got to admit, this is not something I saw coming.”

“Was that a pun?” Matt snapped. His patience was growing thin.

Tony paused. “Not intentionally. Anyway, I'll talk to some of my contacts, see what Hill and Natasha can dig up on AIM's current dealings. That's who it was, right?”

“If that's who wears the ridiculous beekeeper costumes, then yes, it was AIM.”

“That's them,” Tony confirmed. “If you drop in around 2 or 3, I should have something for you by then. How are they holding up?”

“Not... terrible, but not good either,” Matt admitted.

Tony hummed. “Can't say this is something I have experience with, but I can imagine it would be hard. Your best bet is probably to keep them busy, keep them distracted, and we'll worry about the rest once we know more.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“No problem. You need anything else, call back.”

He hung up without giving Matt a chance to thank him or even say goodbye, and Matt just sat in stunned silence for a second before heading up to the roof where Foggy was hanging out.

Matt sat next to him, not far from where he found Luke earlier that day, but not as near to the edge.

“He know anything?” Foggy asked, despite probably being able to tell from Matt's expression that Tony didn't.

“Stark is... less than helpful, but said if we came by, he might be able to figure something out. Thankfully, he hates AIM even more than I do, although it's getting to be a close thing,” Matt sighed.

“We'll go to the zoo tomorrow before we take them to see Stark,” Foggy said. “Central Park Zoo has an area for kids.”

“They're not really kids Foggy,” Matt sighed.

“I know,” he agreed. “But maybe this is a chance for them to actually be kids. From what you told me, they didn't all get the chance.”

“So what, you're trying to tell me this is a blessing in disguise, that I should find that AIM asshole and thank him?”

Foggy scoffed. “God no. I'm just saying that we might as well make the best of it. Plus, reduced admission.”

Matt smiled. “Yeah, that sounds more like the Foggy I know.”

Foggy laughed. “Listen, just cause I've got the money now doesn't mean I'm any more willing to part with it than I was in law school.”

“I will pay you back, for the clothes, the food, everything.”

“Okay Matty,” Foggy agreed, and his heart almost made it sound like he wasn't lying.

Almost.


	2. Day Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a distraction, a disaster, and some science.

The morning dawned far earlier than Matt would have liked, around 6am with Danny poking his face with a short finger.

Matt nearly had Danny flat on his back with an arm on his chest before he remembered that this was not some strange child, this was his friend who he invited into his home.

Although not to poke him in the face before the sun rose.

“I'm hungry,” Danny said.

Matt blinked at him.

“I want breakfast,” he added.

Right. Matt could do that.

Foggy had brought cereal over along with the other food, and milk, so at least he had that.

Matt managed to pour Danny a bowl of cereal, cover it with milk, and find a spoon small enough to fit in Danny's mouth, all while barely conscious.

 

After getting Danny settled at the table, his short legs dangling off the edge of the chair, Matt fell into bed next to Luke and drifted off almost immediately.

 

 

* * *

 

 

A scream woke him up.

The bed next to him was empty, and the person who was screaming was in the kitchen. Jessica, by the sounds of it.

“What?” he asked, rushing to her side.

“Danny broke his bowl and then tried to clean it up except now he's bleeding everywhere and there's glass on the floor.”

Now that Matt considered it, the smell of blood was heavy in the air.

He sighed. “Okay, no one move. Luke, can you come here please?” he called to the bedroom.

Luke groaned, but trudged out to the kitchen.

“Can you grab Danny and put him on the couch, then grab Jessica? I don't want them stepping in anymore glass.”

“I didn't step in any glass,” Jessica protested.

“I didn't step in it either,” Danny protested.

Matt frowned. “What's bleeding then?”

“My hand,” Danny said, holding it out as Luke picked him up, crunched some glass with his impenetrable feet, and set Danny down on the couch.

“Right,” Matt sighed.

Luke moved Jessica to the couch as well, and then came back for Matt.

“I'm good, but if you could grab the broom from kitchen, and the dustpan, and start sweeping it up while I take care of Danny. Please,” he added.

Luke shrugged, but let Matt tiptoe around the shards on the floor on his own. Matt grabbed the first aid kit from the shelf before sitting down next to Danny.

“Jessica, can you be my eyes for me? Is there any glass still in there?” He was fairly certain there wasn't, but he wanted to make sure, in case he hurt Danny further.

Jessica leaned in close and examined the wound, which had slowed bleeding.

“Nah, nothing in there.”

“Great, thank you Jessica. Okay Danny, I'm going to stop the bleeding, and then we'll see what you need. It's not bad enough for stitches, but it might need some butterfly strips to hold it closed, okay?”

Danny nodded.

They sat there for a few minutes, Matt holding the gauze tightly to the wound while Luke swept up glass and poured the shards in the garbage.

“Thank you Luke. Why don't you get dressed and get some breakfast. We're going to the zoo with Foggy in a little bit.”

 

Danny perked up at that. “Am I gonna get to pet them?”

“I think there's a petting zoo part, but I can't make any promises.”

“Yay!” Danny cheered.

Jessica snorted at him.

Matt peeled the gauze back, and when the bleeding didn't start again, was satisfied with the way things were going. “I'm going to give you some butterfly stripes, and then I'll wrap it up for you, okay?” he told Danny.

Danny nodded.

Matt carefully stuck two strips down on Danny's palm, holding the two edges of the wound together. It wasn't big or deep, but it was in an area prone to stretching, and likely wouldn't heal well if just left to its own devices.

Matt grabbed a roll of gauze out of the first aid kit next and wound it around Danny's hand, making sure the wound was covered and would stay clean.

“Okay, you are good to go. Now you need some clothes on too.”

“Can I wear the dragon shirt?” Danny asked hopefully.

“I suppose so. It's not visibly dirty, is it?”

Danny shook his head.

“Okay then.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Foggy showed up half an hour later while Matt was on his hands and knees trying to scrub a mixture of dried blood and milk off the floor.

“Busy morning?” he asked, pausing at the sight.

Matt sighed. “There's only been one injury, which I suppose isn't bad.”

“Let me guess, children had cereal in glass bowls, things went wrong?”

Matt nodded, leaning back and wiping his hair out of his face with the back of his hand. “Spot on.”

“Things otherwise okay?”

Matt shrugged. “I guess. Luke is just in the shower right now, but he should be out soon, and Jessica and Danny are supposed to be watching Netflix on my laptop, but I can't confirm that's what they're actually doing.”

“Well, I brought shoes now that I know what size everyone's feet are, and some other essentials for visiting the zoo, like hand sanitizer, change to buy animal food, portable snacks, and water bottles.” Foggy held the bag up.

“I honestly don't know what I'd do without you,” Matt admitted.

“Oh I know,” Foggy laughed. “You'd be stuck with three kids in varying states of undress, having been fed some sort of takeout, and possibly having beaten each other up out of boredom.”

Matt swiped the floor one last time before giving up. “You're right.”

The shower turned off, and with it, Matt could hear the movie playing in the bedroom.

He tilted his head. “They're watching Home?” He'd given them instructions to go on the kid's account of Netflix, but he hadn't expected Jessica to listen.

Foggy shrugged, holding out a hand for Matt to get up. “What can I say, it's a great movie.”

 

With Foggy's help, Matt managed to get the Defenders ready to go in less than half an hour, fixing clothing and ensuring that they had everything they'd need for the day ahead. He also made sure that Foggy didn't know what they were doing after the zoo, in case he let it slip and effectively ruined what was supposed to be an enjoyable outing.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Out of consideration for Danny's short legs, they walked over to the subway station and took the N line for two stops, walking the rest of the way.

 

Danny chattered the whole time about the animals they'd had in K'un-Lun, mainly a donkey that he'd named Hector.

 

“We don't need to go to the 4-D theatre, right?” Foggy asked, scanning the ticket prices.

“I feel like it would be a little lost on me,” Matt replied.

“General admission it is then!” Foggy said brightly. “So two adults, three kids.” He nudged Danny as he said it, and the boy giggled. “Thanks to magic, or science, or magic science, we save a whole $15.”

Matt rolled his eyes and Jessica snorted. “Whatever man.”

Foggy paid for their tickets while Matt held Danny's hand and tried to keep Jessica at arm's length from him. He thought that Jessica had a brother when she was younger. Maybe Danny was reminding her of him. It could explain at least part of her animosity towards Danny in this state. A reminder of who'd she'd lost.

He made a note to talk to her about it later. It would probably end with her trying to punch him, but it would still be good to address it.

 

There was indeed a petting zoo, and that was the first place they went to, by popular vote.

Matt wasn't sure what to expect, but was hoping that the others would enjoy it at least.

 

“It's so fluffy,” Danny breathed, trying to press his face into the fence in the hopes of getting closer to it.

“Which one is he talking about?” Matt whispered to Foggy.

“I think it's an alpaca,” Foggy whispered back.

“Foggy, I need change so I can feed them,” Jessica told him, holding out her hand. Foggy dug in his pocket and gave her a pile of change.

“You have to share that with Danny and Luke,” he warned. She scoffed.

 

Matt held a hand out in the direction that Danny was still cooing. There was an animal there, with an elongated neck and some sort of fluffy covering. Wool? Did alpacas have wool?

An instant before it nuzzled him, it exhaled humid air on his hand, and Matt huffed out a laugh.

“Hi buddy,” he told it.

“It's touching you,” Danny whispered reverently.

“Come here,” Foggy told him, “I'll lift you up and you can pet him too.”

Foggy hauled Danny up on his hip, and Danny reached one short arm out to touch the alpaca on the ear. He shrieked with delight. “So fluffy!” he wiggled. “I want one. I can afford one. I want one.”

“Not while you're living in my house,” Matt told him.

 

Behind them, Jessica was dividing up the animal feed she got from the machine. “Your hands are bigger, which is why you're sharing with Danny,” she told him.

Luke shrugged. “Okay.”

 

The alpaca licked Matt's palm, and he startled. “I don't have anything for you. Sorry,” he told the creature.

Luke came up behind them. “Here Danny,” he said.

“Hold out your hand,” Foggy nudged him. “The one that isn't hurt.”

Danny obeyed and Luke poured some of the animal feed into his palm.

“Hold your hand out flat and let him eat out of your palm,” Foggy instructed.

Matt stroked the alpaca's ear while Danny figured out how to hold his hand, and finally held it right under the alpaca's nose. The alpaca slurped at Danny's hand, making wet noises with its tongue, until all of the feed was gone.

“That tickled,” Danny said.

Below the alpaca, another creature baa-d. A sheep then, probably. It was similarly fluffy.

Danny wiggled out of Foggy's arms and strung an arm through the fence to pet it. “What a good fluffy cloud,” he cooed.

 

To their left, Jessica was feeding a tiny goat, and Luke was teasing it about its beard. Matt patted the alpaca on the head again and wished they never had to leave.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Around two, Matt signaled to Foggy that they should start wrapping things up so they could visit Stark.

 

“How about ice cream before we leave?” he suggested.

Danny cheered, and even Jessica nodded.

 

Of course, finding ice cream was a challenge in itself, but they managed.

Once everyone had ice cream, they headed East towards the subway.

They got on the 5 train at Lexington station and headed to Grand Central, and once they emerged, Matt knew Stark Tower (or was it Avengers Tower now?) was visible on the skyline.

 

As soon as Jessica spotted it, she stopped. “No,” she said firmly.

Matt was trying to keep up with Danny, who was tugging him along, and nearly missed that she stopped. “Hang on Danny, we've lost Jessica.”

“I'm not going,” she added. “Not to Stark. He's an asshole.”

“Language,” Matt warned her.

“Screw you,” she spat at him. “You're not my dad and you can't tell me what to do.”

Danny tugged at Matt's hand again, eager to get going.

 

Foggy knelt down next to Jessica, in the middle of the sidewalk, people passing on either side. “Listen Jess. I'm not sure there's anyone who actually likes Tony Stark. But if there's anyone who can figure out how to fix this, it's him. And since I'm sure you like sleeping on Matt's couch even less than he likes you sleeping on his couch, you're gonna put your big girl panties on and come with us.”

Jessica was glaring at Foggy, Matt was sure of it.

She then kicked him in the shin, thankfully not very hard because of her running shoes, and took off down the sidewalk, in the direction of the Tower.

“Ow,” Foggy groaned. He limped on down the sidewalk, and Matt followed, Danny in hand, and Luke right behind them.

“Probably for the best they don't make steel toes in her size,” Matt told him.

Foggy whimpered at the thought.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Jarvis let them in the Tower and the elevator took them right to Tony, who was in some sort of lab or exam room. Maybe it was a combination of both, Matt couldn't tell.

 

“Wow,” Tony said. “They are tiny. And adorable,” he added, running a hand through Danny's curls.

Jessica actually growled at him.

“Fine, not adorable,” Tony amended. “Terrifying. Better?”

She scoffed at him.

“So I've got a few tests I'd like to run. It's going to involve blood samples, imaging, and maybe a few other things.”

Luke held a hand up.

“Yes Luke?” Tony pointed at him.

“I have unbreakable skin.”

“... right. Okay, no blood from you then. Please don't tell me you're somehow allergic to x-rays too.”

Luke shook his head.

Tony sighed in relief. “Good.”

 

The next hour and a half was spent with the three of them, plus Bruce, trying to keep three not quite children in line.

Matt felt he was at a slight disadvantage not being on his home turf, and he suspected Foggy felt the same. Bruce seemed completely averse to confrontation, and his role was really more of a supervisor, except when Danny asked a question about the centrifuge and Bruce took the time to explain it to him.

 

At the end of all that struggle, the x-rays didn't reveal anything out of the ordinary.

 

“Yeah, there's the growth plate,” Bruce said, pointing to an image. “And if we look at the ones of their hands, I'd say based on these that Danny is five, almost six, Jessica is nine, and Luke is eleven, nearly twelve.”

“How can you tell by looking at them?” Foggy asked.

“Bones in the hand ossify at different points. By looking at the ones that are further along in the process of forming and hardening, we can tell how old they are. It's not an exact science, and it varies between the genders, but it's good enough for an estimate. That's how old you thought they were, right?”

Matt nodded.

“Well, the x-rays are typical for healthy children, which I know isn't what you wanted to hear, but I really don't have an answer for you. I'll see if the blood tests have come up with anything though,” he said, wandering off deeper into the lab.

“I wanna go home,” Danny whine, rubbing at his arm where Bruce had taken the blood, even though it had been covered with what Matt was told was a Hulk bandaid.

“How about you meet my robot instead?” Tony offered. “Well, robots, plural. I have more than one.”

“You have robots?” Luke asked skeptically.

“Yup. Built em myself.”

“No way,” Jessica scoffed. “I need to see this.”

“Danny? Wanna see the robots?”

Danny shook his head.

“I do,” Jessica said.

“Me too,” Luke added.

“Okay, two kids for robots. You guys gonna stay here?” Tony directed at Matt and Foggy.

“I want to see a robot,” Foggy said.

“Danny and I will stay here,” Matt assured them. “Have fun.”

 

Danny tugged on Matt's sleeve as soon as they left the room. “What's Doctor Banner doing with our blood?” he asked.

“I'm not exactly sure,” Matt admitted. “Testing it for... things. Seeing if he can find something in it that caused you to get younger, I guess.”

 

“Yeah,” Doctor Banner called from the other end of the lab, before getting up and walking back over to them. “Nothing out of the ordinary, again. I was hoping that maybe growth hormones would be off, or there would be some unusual substance in the blood that would provide a clue, but I didn't find anything.”

“Am I gonna be little forever?” Danny asked, voice quiet.

“Oh no,” Bruce assured him. “Even if we don't manage to figure this out, you'll still grow up normally.”

Matt attempted to glare at him from behind his glasses, but was fairly certain he missed the mark entirely.

Danny gaped at him.

“We will figure this out though,” Matt assured him. “We just need more time.”

Bruce nodded in agreement. “Maybe you can help by answering some questions,” he suggested, pulling out a clipboard and a pen.

Danny nodded.

“How old were you when you got the power of the Iron Fist?”

Danny screwed up his face, trying to remember. “Nineteen.”

“And you still have it now?”

Danny nodded. “But it's hard to focus my chi and make it work,” he said sadly.

Bruce nodded sympathetically. “I'm sure it will get better. Just give it time. Now I've got some questions for both of you, whoever knows the answer.”

Danny nodded again.

“How old was Luke when he got his abilities?”

Matt shrugged. “Not sure exactly. An adult though.”

“And Jessica was a child when she got hers.”

Matt nodded. “I think it was after the age of nine though.”

“Okay, so we can rule out quantum entanglement. I thought for a little bit that it might have been something to do with wormholes and time travel swapping their bodies for their own, younger ones, but then they wouldn't have the same abilities.”

“Right,” Matt agreed, not understanding a word of it.

Danny nodded too, even though Matt was certain he also had no clue.

 

“I'm hungry,” Danny said.

“Well lucky for you, Tony hides snacks everywhere,” Bruce told him, moving to a nearby drawer and checking it. The third drawer was apparently the lucky one, and he returned with a number of packages for Danny to take his pick.

“Why don't you go sit on the couch over there to eat it, okay?” Matt suggested, pointing. He had no idea why there was a couch in a lab, but he wasn't going to question it.

 

While Danny was occupied with his snack, Matt inched closer to Bruce to ask him a question.

“They have their memories, so why are they behaving differently?”

“Well,” Bruce said, fiddling with his glasses. “I suspect that their brains have reverted to the physiology that is typical for their age. Essentially, their brains are less developed, which can explain behavioural changes. Less emotional regulation, more difficulty making rational decisions, and problems with executive function. Essentially, their brains are that of children again, so despite all of the things they know and have experienced, their brains aren't capable of expressing all of those things.”

“Okay,” Matt agreed, actually understanding what Bruce was getting at.

“So while they have their memories, and are still the same people, they may not show that in the same way, or behave differently than you've experienced before.”

“I don't even know them that well,” Matt admitted. “I mean, we team up, but I don't know all that much about any of them. For all I know, this could be who they really are, and it's just finally being expressed.”

“I wouldn't worry that much,” Bruce assured him. “I think what's important right now is that you're there for them, and you're helping them through this. Not everyone would do this you know.”

Matt nodded. “Still doesn't feel like enough.”

Danny wandered back over, apparently done with his snack.

“Hey buddy,” Bruce told him, ruffling his hair with one hand.

“How's the science going?” Danny asked.

“Oh, not bad,” Bruce told him. “I don't have any answers yet, but I'm still working on it. Why don't you tell me a bit about you? I heard that you are the Iron Fist.”

Danny nodded. “The protector of K'un-Lun.”

“I've heard of it,” Bruce told him. “One of the seven capital cities of heaven.”

Danny nodded eagerly. “How did you know that?”

“I've done a lot of traveling. Not as far as you have, but I've been places.”

“That's how you learned about the Iron Fist?” Danny asked.

“Something like that.”

Matt smiled. He had no doubt Bruce had traveled far and wide, but he didn't think that was how he learned about the Iron Fist and the city of K'un-Lun. But if that's what it took to earn Danny's trust, he was willing to let it happen.

“Did the AIM guy have Iron Fist powers too?” Danny asked.

Matt froze. “Why do you ask that Danny?”

Danny shrugged. “I think he was glowing.”

Matt knelt down next to him. “What do you mean he was glowing?”

“I didn't see him,” Danny explained. “Or what happened. But I did see him glowing. But instead of glowing like me, he was glowing orange. Is there an orange Iron Fist? Maybe there's all the colours of the Iron Fist.”

“Maybe,” Matt said slowly. Behind Danny, Bruce was inching closer.

“Hey Danny,” Bruce said gently. “Did you see the glowing before or after you were made small?”

“Right before,” Danny told him. “Then it was hard to see anything cause my shirt was over my head.”

Bruce nodded. “Right. Okay. Thanks for telling us that Danny. It's very helpful.”

“Can you make me big again?”

“You know what, I'm going to have to talk to Tony, but I think we'll be able to do it. We just need to find the man who was glowing before and talk to him. It might take us a few days, but I promise we'll do our best, okay?”

Danny nodded, apparently pleased with that.

 

When Tony, Foggy, Jessica, and Luke returned, Bruce grabbed Tony and took him out into the hall.

Of course, Matt could still hear everything they were saying and tried to block out Luke raving about the cute little robots in order to hear exactly what they were saying.

 

“It has to be an infinity stone Tony, it has to,” Bruce hissed.

“You're saying the kid didn't even see it?”

“He saw a glow right before they were changed. Orange. We can ask Thor about it, but you know what that sounds like.”

“Which means AIM has an infinity stone, and used it to turn only three quarters of the Defenders into children? Why?”

There was a sound that could have been a shrug. “Maybe they're not sure what it is yet. Maybe they're just testing it out. But we need to stop them before it gets any further, and then use it to change them back.”

“Right,” Tony said. “Okay, I'll get in contact with Thor, you see what you can find out about this time stone.”

“What should we tell them?”

Tony hesitated. “I'm not sure we'll need to tell them anything.”

“You're advocating we lie to them? I don't think I can do that.”

“No, I mean Murdock can probably hear us right now.”

Matt waved in their direction as they inevitably turned to look at him.

“Right,” Bruce sighed. “Okay.”

He disappeared into the elevator, and Tony came back into the lab.

“Any questions?” he asking, clapping his hands together.

The other Defenders and Foggy just looked at him.

“Care to explain Matt?” Foggy asked.

“They think they know what deaged them,” Matt explained. “Something called an infinity stone. They're hoping that if they find the AIM agent who had it, they can use it to change them back to normal.”

“Okay, which will be when?” Jessica asked.

Tony shrugged, his hands in his pockets. “Hopefully no more than a few days. We'll keep you updated with how the search goes. Bruce is gonna call in Thor, who knows the most about the stones more than any of us, and we're hoping he'll have some insight. There's also this magic space guy who sees literally everything, so hopefully he can help.”

“So like, the inverse of Matt?” Foggy offered.

Matt scoffed at him, but Tony laughed.

“Right. Thank you for your help Stark, we should probably be getting home. It's almost dinner time,” Matt said, without any idea of what time it was.

“I'll have a car take you home,” Tony said, leaving no room for argument. Not that Matt would have offered any, it had been a long day and Danny had such short legs.

 

 

* * *

 

 

By the time they got home, it was dinner time. Foggy made grilled cheese sandwiches while Matt heated up soup.

 

After dinner, Foggy helped Matt set up the air mattress for him to sleep on instead of the pile of blankets he'd made on the floor. A very thin pile of blankets, because after giving Danny one, Luke one, and Jessica two, there were only two left over for Matt, one to lie on and one to lie under.

He hadn't slept that well last night. He wasn't sure it would be much better on a plastic bag filled with air, but he had hope that it couldn't be worse.

 

Matt thanked Foggy for his help once again, because he certainly wouldn't have been able to get through that day without him, and starting planning how he could thank him once the whole thing was over with.


	3. Day Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are pancakes, shopping trips, and unexpected journeys.

Day three (and it wasn't even the third full day, it was more like day 2.3) dawned early yet again, not with Danny poking Matt's face, but with a whispered argument between Jessica and Luke about what constituted a proper breakfast. Luke, bless his heart, argued that stale cookies were not a proper breakfast.

 

“I can make pancakes if you give me a few minutes,” Matt called.

Jessica spun to look at him. “We were being quiet, honestly.”

“I know. So what do you think? Pancakes?”

They nodded in unison.

“Where's Danny?” Matt asked, heart sinking.

“Shower,” Luke said.

Right. Matt didn't even connect the noise with the shower. He clearly needed more sleep.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“It's going to burn,” Jessica warned.

“No it's not,” Matt assured her.

“You can't even see it!”

“I can smell it. It's not burning.”

“Yeah, can you smell the future? Cause it's going to.”

“Don't flip it yet.”

Jessica muttered a few choice words under her breath.

“Okay, now,” Matt said, a few seconds later. Luke dutifully flipped the pancake over and whistled.

“Perfectly golden brown,” he said with admiration.

Matt patted them both on the back. “I told you I was good at cooking.”

“We've had food that's come from cans for the past two dinners,” Jessica reminded him.

“Yeah, dinner. I can cook breakfast though.”

Something clattered in the bathroom. “You keep going, I'm going to check on Danny.”

Jessica scoffed. “We're allowed to use the stove?”

Matt shrugged. “Technically you're adults. You just can't reach where I keep the bowls.”

 

He knocked gently on the bathroom door. “You okay Danny?”

“Yeah,” the reply came, slightly muffled.

Matt frowned. “You sure?”

“Uh huh.”

“Okay. Let me know if you need any help, alright?”

Danny hummed in response. Matt waited by the door, just in case he changed his mind, but as the moments passed, it didn't seem like he was going to.

 

In the kitchen, Jessica ordered Luke to flip the pancake already dammit. Luke obeyed, even though it still needed a few more seconds.

 

Danny emerged finally, having apparently given up on the struggle to get his head through the second shirt that Foggy had brought him.

“It doesn't fit,” he said sadly.

“That's okay. Why don't you wear the dragon one again, and we'll go out today and get a few more things, okay?”

Otherwise he'd have to do laundry every other day, and he definitely did not sign up for that.

Danny nodded.

“Okay. We're having pancakes for breakfast. I bet you Jessica burned one,” he whispered, loud enough for her to hear.

“If anyone burned them it was Luke!” she called.

“I think I'll take over again,” Matt said. “Luke, can you grab plates for everyone? Jessica, how about you pour juice. Danny, there's syrup in the fridge.”

 

It was remarkable how willing they were to do things when there was food involved.

 

Matt even showed off by flipping a few of the pancakes up in the air. It was worth it for Jessica's grudging approval alone.

 

 

* * *

 

 

After everyone had been fed and appropriately clothed, they headed out.

 

“Okay, we're going to the Gap, because it's reasonably affordable and will have something for everyone,” Matt announced. “This isn't open to discussion. I don't have a whole lot of money to spend on clothing that you're going to grow out of, hopefully in a few days.”

“I can pay,” Danny offered.

Jessica laughed. “How?”

“I have a credit card you know,” Danny chirped. “I'm rich, remember?”

“You're also five,” Matt pointed out.

Danny shrugged. “We can pretend I'm eccentric.”

“It's not like you can pretend it's yours,” Jessica added, speaking to Matt.

“Thanks for that reminder Jess.”

“No problem.”

“I can do it,” Luke offered.

“No, they'd just think you stole it.”

“Jessica,” Matt hissed.

Luke shrugged. “She's not wrong. A cute little kid like Danny, people are more willing to believe he has money.”

“We'll just stop at a bank machine and get cash,” Matt decided.

“No fun,” Jessica grumbled.

“Yeah, well I'm also not looking to explain to a police officer who you are and why you don't have any identification. And then you'd end up in foster care...”

“Yeah, let's avoid that,” Luke suggested.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Okay, everyone needs at least one more pair of pants, three t-shirts, and a sweater. Plus any more socks and underwear you might need, okay? Danny, you're with me.”

Danny sighed. “M'not holding your hand,” he muttered.

“That's fine with me. You might lead me into a sign.”

Jessica snorted as she headed to the other side of the store, what Matt assumed was the girl's section.

“I want jeans,” Danny said, scurrying to a nearby table.

Matt sighed, but followed.

 

He spent the next half hour trailing behind Danny around the store, finally giving up and sitting on the chairs by the change room while Luke talked him out of getting three of the same shirt. Jessica had finished in about five minutes, bringing back clothes that Luke informed him were all black or shades of grey. Luke had to go to the men's section to find pants that fit him properly, but he managed to get some clothes as well, and they were finally at the checkout before they hit the hour mark.

Matt was very proud of himself for not passing out when the cashier announced the price, and Luke helped him count out the bills they'd gotten from the bank machine after getting off the bus. Matt didn't always trust people not to shortchange him.

 

They finally headed home with bags of clothes. Matt was exhausted.

 

After lunch, which he enlisted the help of Luke and Jessica to make, Danny and Matt curled up on opposite sides of the bed and fell asleep while Jessica and Luke fought over the laptop. He hoped that no one would be hurt when they woke up.

 

 

* * *

 

 

It was quiet when he woke up, except for the noise of Danny stirring beside him. In fact, there were no other heartbeats in the apartment at all.

Matt immediately panicked.

 

“Danny, wake up. Jessica and Luke are gone.”

Danny sat up in the bed. “What?”

“They left while we were asleep. Can you help me figure out where they went?”

Danny nodded.

“Okay, check for a note first, in case they left one.”

Danny scurried off into the kitchen to start searching. Matt paced back and forth in the bedroom, wondering where two people that had recently been turned to children could have gone. Home? But Matt would have taken them there if they'd asked, whether just to see it or get some of their things, but they hadn't. Could they have been taken?

Matt reminded himself that they both had superpowers, and he surely wouldn't have been able to sleep through the ensuing fight.

Jessica wanted a drink, but surely Luke wouldn't support her, and besides, there was no way she could get served alcohol, or even buy it. Maybe if she had a lot of money, but she still looked like she was nine years old, and Matt had enough faith in humanity left to hope that no one would have sold her alcohol, no matter what she gave them.

 

“I didn't find a note,” Danny told Matt. “But some of their clothes we bought this morning are gone, and the rest of the cash.”

Which meant they had funds. Not much, but enough to hop on a bus or get a taxi.

 

“Do you know where they'd go Danny?”

Danny shook his head.

“Where would you go?” Matt asked him.

“Home,” Danny replied immediately. “I'd go home. Not my grown up home, but my little home.”

“You'd go where you lived when you were this old?”

Danny nodded.

“Okay... I don't think Luke even grew up in New York, isn't he from a Southern state?”

Danny nodded again. “Georgia.”

“Okay, so let's assume he didn't drag Jessica all the way down to Georgia. I'm pretty sure Jessica did grow up around here.”

“New Jersey,” Danny agreed.

“Not somewhere easy to get by public transport. Also probably not somewhere that there are a lot of good memories for her. After all, her family did die. She probably doesn't have the same relationship with her childhood home as you do.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

Matt paused in his pacing for a moment. “So where is somewhere that they'd both want to go, and wouldn't want us to know about them going to?”

“Somewhere safe,” Danny said.

Safe. Where was somewhere safe?

 

 

* * *

 

 

Alias Investigations was both Jessica's home and place of business. The building it was in didn't seem to be very nice, and Matt held Danny a little closer to him, just in case.

“We have to go up,” Danny told him. Matt nodded and let Danny push the buttons on the elevator. He even led the way down the hall towards her office.

“Don't knock yet,” Matt told him, holding a hand up. He listened carefully. Two heartbeats inside, faster than normal for their adult bodies, but just right for children.

“Okay, go ahead,” Matt told him.

Danny knocked, and Matt listened to the inevitable fallout.

 

“Shit,” Jessica said.

“Told you he'd find us,” Luke replied. “It's open Matt.”

“Traitor,” Jessica muttered.

Matt pushed open the door, letting him and Danny into the space. Jessica had a bottle of rum open on her desk, and an empty glass next to it.

He sighed. “Really Jessica?”

She shrugged.

“You're nine years old,” he scolded her. “Who knows what that could be doing to your liver.”

She didn't say anything.

“And Luke, you thought this was a good idea?”

“No. But she was going to do it with or without me, so I thought I'd go with her.”

Which was fair. “Okay. Come on.”

Jessica poured herself another glass and swallowed it down before Matt could even say anything.

“Sure,” she said.

“What's for dinner?” Luke asked.

“I don't know. What do you guys want for dinner?”

“Pizza!” Danny yelled.

“Jessica, Luke?”

Jessica shrugged.

“Pizza sounds good,” Luke said.

“Pizza it is.”

 

He made sure Jessica left the bottle of rum behind before they headed out to get pizza.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Pizza acquired, they sat down with Matt's laptop, all four of them crowding on the couch, to decide what movie to watch.

“Something suitable for everyone,” Matt instructed.

“Lord of the Rings,” Luke suggested.

“God you nerd,” Jessica scoffed.

“They made movies?” Danny asked reverently. Matt imagined his eyes were wide.

“That is just sad,” Jessica said. “Fine, put the first one on.”

 

Of course, Luke put on the extended versions, and Danny barely managed to stay awake through the first one. He went to bed, and then Matt, Luke, and Jessica watched the newest episodes of Dog Cops. He promised that in the morning he would make pancakes again, and they both went to bed happily.

Matt laid awake for a while longer on his air mattress, fingers running over one of the few braille books he had before finally drifting off to sleep.


	4. Day Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which grocery shopping is literally the worst, no one is being dramatic.

They allowed Matt to sleep until 8 the next morning, but that was apparently the line, because Danny was too hungry to wait any longer.

Luke was mixing something in a bowl that he shouldn't have been able to reach.

“What's that?” Matt asked.

“Pancake batter,” Luke replied. “We're helping.”

“How did you get the bowl down?” Matt asked, uncertain if he'd like the answer.

“He put Danny on his shoulders,” Jessica said.

He was right, he didn't like the answer.

After breakfast, Matt had a brief discussion (argument) with Danny explaining why he couldn't wear the dragon shirt again because it needed to be washed.

“But if we're just going to be here it shouldn't matter,” Danny huffed.

“I understand that, but we're going out to get groceries.”

“Dessert?” Danny asked.

“Yes, we can get some dessert foods. Not too many though, remember our talk about money?”

“I'll buy dessert things,” Danny decided.

“No, that wasn't what I meant,” Matt protested, but Danny was gone, off to change into a clean shirt.

Jessica scoffed at him. “I'm with Danny on this one. If he's going to payroll our junk food binge, I'm not going to stop him.”

“We will get a reasonable amount of junk food,” Matt told her. “Not excessive, just reasonable. Are you ready to go?”

“Yup.”

Matt was fairly sure she was wearing the same pair of jeans as yesterday, but he wasn't going to fight with her.

 

* * *

 

“Okay. Luke, you got the list?”

Luke nodded.

“First item?”

“Tomatoes.”

“Jessica, can you push the cart please?”

Jessica took over pushing the cart, Danny led him to the tomatoes, and Matt explained how to pick out ones that were just about ripe. It might have been a bit difficult without enhanced senses, but Danny nodded in all the right places.

“Next thing Luke?”

“Apples.”

Matt let them pick out their own apples, and they moved on to lemons, then herbs. Jessica threw in some bananas, which Matt allowed, but vetoed the pineapple, which wasn't anywhere near ripe and was exorbitantly expensive.

They picked up pasta, frozen dinners, more cereal, chips, and ice cream. Matt grabbed canned fruit and applesauce for snacks, and didn't miss that Jessica slipped popcorn in the cart.

“Which juice boxes do you guys want?” Matt asked, standing in front of the shelf. He couldn't tell them apart anyway, so it really didn't matter to him.

Jessica grabbed one box and Danny grabbed another.

“Fine. Jessica, put back the second bag of chips,” he ordered. “I didn't miss you slipping it in.”

Danny, who had managed to get Luke to lift him in the cart around aisle four, held up the bag.

“Thank you Danny.”

Jessica huffed and tossed the bag on the shelf.

“Thank you. Luke, is there anything we missed off the list?”

Luke scanned it. “Oh, yogurt.”

“Right. Can you and Jessica go to the back and grab one? Pick the flavours you like. Danny and I will grab the hamburger and get in the checkout line.”

“Sure,” Luke said.

Jessica sighed but went with him.

While Danny picked out the hamburger package he thought looked the best, Matt sensed someone behind him. He gripped the cart with one hand and his cane with the other, probably tighter than needed.

“Got one,” Danny said, placing it in the cart with care.

“Great. Now let's go get in line. You're going to need to be my eyes so I don't hit anything with the cart okay?”

Danny nodded.

There was a hand on his shoulder and Matt resisted spinning and knocking them down with his cane. _Grocery store,_ he reminded himself. It wasn't a fight.

He turned. “Yes?”

“I just wanted to tell you what a great job you're doing,” they said. It was a woman, probably late fifties, retirement age definitely, he kept losing track of when that was.

He raised an eyebrow.

“I mean raising a child, taking him out grocery shopping on your own. It's so admirable.”

Matt opened his mouth to protest, but Jessica came up behind him and took over pushing the cart. Luke handed the yogurt to Danny before taking Matt's arm.

“Come on dad, I spy an empty line,” he said, half pulling Matt down the aisle, leaving the woman behind them.

“I'm not going to foster care because you get yourself arrested,” Jessica told him, steering the cart in between two strollers with wild abandon.

“How would I get arrested?”

“You really like fighting people,” Jessica replied. “You do it for a job and everything.”

Matt rolled his eyes. “You know, now she's going to think I've adopted all of you. Or stole you or something.”

“Or she'll think you're even more _admirable_ for adopting three children, two of who aren't even young and cute.”

“Cause that's what I need,” Matt muttered. He considered the cart. “Jessica, what did I say about the licorice?”

“That it's delicious and we need it?” she suggested, pulling into a checkout lane.

“No,” he said flatly.

He made sure he didn't pay for it and left the store before Jessica could make an excuse to go back and grab it.

 

* * *

 

They helped him make spaghetti for dinner, and no one was hurt this time, which he was impressed by. Ice cream was dessert, which turned out to be mint chocolate chip. Matt hadn't actually known what they'd picked out, since all the containers were the same to him. Grocery shopping was difficult without someone else there, which was why he was thankful that he had someone to accompany him, even if those someones kept trying to add things to the cart and hope he wouldn't notice.

After dinner they put on the second Lord of the Rings movie, extended edition of course, and this time it was Matt who fell asleep. He woke up to the smell of popcorn, which he was offered as soon as they realized he was conscious again.

“Why didn't you wake me?” he asked, accepting the bowl Danny gave him.

Luke shrugged. “You seemed tired. Sorry about the popcorn, I couldn't talk Jessica out of it any longer.”

“Hey if I'm going to sit here for five hours watching this nerd show, I'm going to have popcorn with it.”

“Shhh!” Danny whispered. “I can't hear.”

Matt sat back with his popcorn and enjoyed the rest of the movie.

Before bed, he sent a text to Stark asking about his progress, and received a long one back in response, half of which was emoticons which were poorly translated to speech.

_ So Thor talked to Heimdall who was the [eyes] guy. Apparently he can see everyone in all the realms, but can't look for an infinity stone, because it only works on people. I'm guessing you don't know the guy's name, right? [smiling face with open mouth and tightly closed eyes] Anyway Bruce seems to think we can turn them back to adults once we find the stone. [thumbs up sign] Hopefully things are going better on your end [boy, boy, girl, man, weary face] but like I said before if you need anything, call. [mobile phone, Iron Man] _

__

Matt raised an eyebrow. Of course Tony had his own emoji. He set his phone aside and tried to lay down on the air mattress without crinkling too much, mostly for his own sake.


	5. Day Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are ...books? Also board games.

“We're bored,” Jessica informed Matt after a breakfast of toaster waffles. “You don't have a tv, you don't have games, you don't even have books. You have one laptop that is impossible to share between the three of us and we're bored.”

“Oh. Well we can do something about that.”

“Like going home to get our own stuff?” she suggested.

Matt sighed. “We've been over this. It's not safe for you guys to go home right now. I'm the only one with a secret identity, which is why we're staying at my apartment.”

She scoffed at him. “So what are we going to do about the boredom problem?”

“Simple. You said we don't have any books, so we're going to the library.”

“That... really wasn't the ideal situation,” she said. “I only added that to demonstrate how ridiculous this situation is.”

Matt shrugged. “The library has dvds, books, games, activities. I'm sure it can entertain the three of you for an afternoon.”

“We're going to the library?” Danny asked, popping up from behind the couch, where he might have been hiding for a game of hide and seek, Matt wasn't clear on the details.

Matt nodded. “The Columbus branch is nearby, and they have programs running on a daily basis. Lots of computer things, if Jessica or Luke would like to do one, I think you're a bit young still.”

“I'm an adult,” Danny protested.

“I know. You just don't look like one right now. But you can impress the librarians by reading all the books for adults.”

Danny beamed. “Yeah.”

“Okay, let's get everyone cleaned up and ready to go, and I'll check to see what programs they have today.”

Jessica disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower, and Luke helped Danny debate which shirt he should wear. Matt knew perfectly well he would end up wearing the dragon one.

“Okay, so this afternoon there's a design your own video game controller, which is part of a four week program, so maybe not the best bet. Shortly after that is family game night, which could be fun. We could go just after lunch, spend some time reading, and then stay for the game night,” Matt suggested.

“I like games,” Danny said.

Luke shrugged.

“We can ask Jessica what she thinks when she gets out of the shower,” Matt decided.

“Does the library have braille books for you?” Danny asked.

“That branch might not. Most of the accessible books are at the Andrew Heiskell library, down on West 20th street. But all the branches have screenreaders, and some branches have other devices that can read out printed text or convert it to braille.”

“Cool.”

Matt laughed. “The New York library is better than most when it comes to accessibility.”

He was fully aware how lucky he was to be living in such a large city that was, for the most part, accessible to him.

 

* * *

 

Jessica took her sweet time having a shower, getting dressed, and otherwise getting ready to leave. Considering it was her idea to do something, she was certainly dragging her feet.

They heated up leftover spaghetti for lunch, and it was nearly one by the time everyone was ready to leave.

Matt remembered to bring his library card, snacks, and money in case they needed to buy something.

“Alright,” he said, standing in front of the small Defenders. “Let's do this.”

The walk wasn't very long, even with Danny's short legs.

Matt hadn't been to the Columbus branch since he was a kid, before he lost his sight. Afterwards, the times his father took him to the library it had been to the Andrew Heiskell branch. He wasn't sure if it had been renovated, or if his memory wasn't entirely accurate, because it wasn't like he remembered.

Danny led him to the adult nonfiction section, where he picked out a stack of books on assorted topics. Matt thought there was one on gardening, another on cooking, and one on world history.

Jessica and Luke had gone to the adult fiction section, and he could hear them whispering to each other about judging books by their covers, something that Matt could at least say he wasn't guilty of.

“I'm ready for fiction now,” Danny said, heaving his pile of books into his arms and nearly toppling over.

Matt took pity on him and took most of the stack, leaving Danny with just a few smaller volumes. Danny led him up and down the aisles, pulling books off the shelf and reading through their summaries, sometimes returning them, and other times adding them to the stack in Matt's arms. He was almost staggering under the weight himself when they reached the end of the fiction section, and found Jessica and Luke sitting on the floor reading.

“Ooh, comics!” Danny said, scurrying towards them.

“Graphic novels,” Jessica corrected.

“There's an Iron Man one!” Danny squealed.

“Quietly please,” Matt said. “Remember we're in a library.” He set down Danny's stacks of books next to him.

“Get enough?” Jessica smirked.

Danny shook his head. “You can never have too many books,” he said reverently, like he was repeating it from being told, or perhaps having learned it the hard way.

“I don't think you're going to have time to read all those before you get turned back,” Luke said.

Danny shrugged, still focused on the novel in his hands.

“We've got a while now, so you can probably make it through at least a few of them,” Matt said. “Then we'll check out the ones you didn't read before we go for games.”

Matt found himself a nearby chair where he was still close enough to them to make it look like he was watching them, in case anyone got suspicious.

Of course, he hadn't planned what he would do while they were reading books, which was perhaps an oversight.

He pulled his phone out, navigated through the library website until he'd found what he was looking for, and downloaded an audiobook from the catalogue. He removed one headphone so he could still hear what Danny, Luke, and Jessica were doing, and settled in for the story.

 

* * *

 

Two hours on, and Danny had finished four of the nonfiction books, but had also added five graphic novels to the pile. Jessica ended up with two books she wanted to take, and Luke had one, a thick novel that he was already a good way into.

When they took them to the desk to check them out, the librarian, an older woman who definitely owned at least one cat, examined them closely.

Danny heaved his pile of books onto the desk. The stack was probably nearly as tall as him, which was certainly impressive.

“Are you sure you want all these books young man?” she asked him.

Danny nodded.

“I think there might be some books upstairs that are more your reading level,” she said gently.

“I would like these ones please,” Danny said firmly.

Matt was pretty sure the woman looked at him for help, but she was certainly out of luck if she was hoping he'd say something.

Danny nudged the pile of books closer, and Jessica and Luke added theirs to the top.

“Books lady,” Jessica said.

She nodded, and started scanning the books through, passing them back to Danny until he disappeared behind the stack.

Honestly, they didn't even need to stay for games, Matt had been entertained enough for one day.

 

* * *

 

“Do you have any fours?” Danny asked.

Matt ran his hand over his cards again. The library actually had cards with braille on them, which made everything easier for him.

He shook his head. “Go fish.”

Danny picked up a card from the pile and his heart rate picked up. _Damn._ Matt was beating him, but only just.

Behind them, Jessica and Luke were somehow playing poker.

“Do you have any eights?” Matt asked.

Danny sighed and handed over the card.

Matt set down the match.

“Do you have any twos?” Danny asked hopefully.

Matt scowled and passed him the card. Behind them, Jessica claimed the entire pile of crackers they were using as chips and laughed at the other players.

 

* * *

 

“I really can't play charades guys,” Matt said, for at least the third time in two minutes. “You are welcome to play, but I'm not going to.”

 

* * *

 

It was Matt and Jessica against Danny and Luke in a ferocious game of Trivial Pursuit.

Both Danny and Matt were terrible at entertainment questions, but were both good at arts and literature questions. And everyone was terrible at sports and leisure questions, so they were pretty evenly matched.

In the end, it came down to a single question about _law._

Matt cackled and high fived Jessica right before they took the grand prize, which was the remaining crackers.

Victory was delicious.

 

* * *

 

Hauling the books home proved to be a bit challenging, but between the four of them, they managed. Matt sweet talked one of the librarians out of some bags for them to carry the books in, and they loaded up Luke's bag with the heaviest ones.

Everyone was quiet that night with their books, Jessica, Danny, and Luke with their paper copies, and Matt with his audiobook.


	6. Day Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things return to normal... or at least what passes for normal.

No one woke Matt up the next morning, and that in itself was almost shocking. When Matt focused, he could hear pages rustling on the couch, where Jessica appeared to have moved on to her second book, Luke seemed to be asleep with his open book on his chest, and Danny had stacked his books up next to the bed until the top of the pile was level with the mattress.

Matt smiled and headed to the kitchen to make pancakes. The smell would likely wake them up, and if not, he looked forward to poking them like they had done to him only days before.

 

* * *

 

While they were finishing up breakfast, Matt's phone rang, announcing it was Tony calling.

The Defenders held their collective breath.

“Good news Stevie Wonder,” Tony greeted him.

Matt sighed. “Yes Tony?”

“We found the AIM asshole who had the time gem.”

“Oh. That is good news.”

“Yup,” Tony agreed. “So get you and your clan of super kids over here, and we'll turn them back into super adults.”

“Right. We'll be right over. Thanks.”

He hung up.

There were three sets of eyes on him. “Tony says they can turn you back.”

Danny was the first one to react. He cheered. Jessica did a fist pump, and Luke simply smiled broadly.

Matt nodded. “Let's go.”

 

* * *

 

Arriving at Avengers Tower, Matt was strangely sad. He kind of liked having the Defenders around. They were equally as ridiculous as when they were adults, but at least they had a reason for being ridiculous.

“So how is this going to work? And how sure are you that it's going to work and not, oh let's say kill them?”

Tony scoffed. “You offend me.”

“I think it's perfectly justified,” Luke chimed in. “If I have to choose being growing up again and dying, you can be sure as hell that I'm gonna pick the one that doesn't involve dying.”

Danny nodded enthusiastically. “I could go to college this time.”

Matt's heart broke a little bit. Because yeah, for all three of them this could be a great opportunity, one that would allow them to get a better childhood, one that wasn't marked by loss- loss of loved ones, of opportunities, of the chance to simply be a child.

But it also just wasn't feasible for Danny Rand to disappear again, not after he'd only just returned. Jessica Jones would be pissed about the lack of leather jackets in her size as well as the number of people who'd refuse to serve drinks to her. And Luke... well, out of all of them, Luke seemed to have the best childhood, no heartwrenching loss, no abuse. But maybe he'd want to do it all over again. Matt couldn't say.

“There is a 99.27% chance that it will turn you back into adults, no harm to you at all. And like most of that left over percentage is that it might hurt a bit. There's only like... less than 0.000001% chance that it will kill you, which is way better than literally anything else. Even lysol leaves more germs than that.”

Matt was pretty sure that was supposed to be reassuring, but he doesn't feel reassured.

“It's not up to me to make that decision. They're technically adults, even if not legally...” He scratched his head. “Do you guys understand the risks? Danny?”

He was fairly certain Luke understood, and so did Jessica, but Danny was younger than both of them, and even if he had all his memories, his brain was still less developed, meaning he might not have the same reasoning skills an adult would.

“I want to be the Iron Fist again,” Danny said softly. “I can't do that when I'm little, even if there's other things I can do.”

Like have a future that's different from the one that he ended up in.

“Okay,” Matt said. “Okay.”

Tony got them all lined up, shifting them by tiny increments until he declared they were all in the proper place. He then dragged Matt behind some sort of protective wall, attempting to give him protective goggles before remembering Matt's vision didn't need protecting, and then warned the Defenders that they were about to greatly age in an instant.

There was a bright flash and then nothing.

Of course, Matt just assumed there was a bright flash, he obviously didn't know for sure. Also, there was still something after the assumed bright flash, namely three Defenders who were substantially larger than they were an instant ago.

Alive. Breathing. And once again adults.

Tony cheered and pulled Matt out from behind the protective wall.

Of course, there was one very large problem with them aging, and therefore growing, very rapidly in almost an instant.

Their clothes were destroyed.

“Oh,” Danny sighed, regarding the tattered remains of his shirt. “I loved this. It had a dragon on it.”

“I'll get you another one,” Tony assured him. “One in your size.”

“I'm going to hold you to that.”

“God, you're both rich, just get your own Danny,” Jessica snapped. She accepted the jacket Stark handed her, snatching it out of his hand. “I need a drink. Clothes first though.”

“Lucky for you, I've got both of those things upstairs.”

Jessica paused and regarded him.

She shrugged after a second.

Matt thought this could be the start of a beautiful friendship. A beautiful and horrifying and very unhealthy friendship.

The five of them made their way upstairs, where clothes were located for three of them, and alcohol for all of them.

The scotch that Tony pulled out what some of the finest Matt had ever been in the presence of, and certainly the best he'd ever had.

Jessica of course didn't appreciate it as much as Matt did. In fact no one else did, a fact which Tony appeared to be offended by.

“Heathens,” he grumbled.

Matt toasted to that.

**Author's Note:**

> So apparently the time stone/gem (it varies between movies and comics) is green in the MCU, but is orange in the comics. Since I'm the writer and I do what I want, which is to have an AIM dude conveniently use the gem instead of having it safely contained in Doctor Strange's amulet, I figure I can also change the colour back to the comic book version.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Art for whitchry9's story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11571465) by [mific](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mific/pseuds/mific)




End file.
